The Antiquities of Constantinople. Gilles Pierre

Чтение книги онлайн.

       Of the second Hill.

       Table of Contents

      THE Ridge of the Promontory rising a little higher, and the two Valleys adjoining to it, make the second Hill. The first Valley divides, at East, the first from the second Hill; the other Valley, Westward, divides the second from the third. On the North ’tis bounded by a Plain on the Sea Shore. The Ridge of the Promontory extends from South to North to the Distance of one thousand Paces in Length, and four hundred in Breadth. The different Breadth of the Vales varies the Breadth of the whole Hill. For where the Valleys which bound the Sides of it at the Top are more contracted, the Hill widens, and at the Foot of the Hill, where they are much wider, the Hill is less. The lesser Hills which stand upon it, extend its Length, two of which hang over the Bay. Its Height varies according to the different Height of the three Clifts, or small Hills which rise upon it. For the Clift lying to the South-east, rises moderately, from the lowest part of the Valley to the Top of the Hill, to the Height of about a thousand Paces; afterwards, as the Valley widens, it grows less, and is rendered more steep by two small Valleys (branching out of the great Valley) which indeed are somewhat upon the Descent, but not above a hundred Paces high. The different Heights of the Clifts which hang over the Bay, may be best discover’d by considering the different Heights of the five publick Ways, which reach from the Ridge to the Foot of the Hill. The first of these Ways rises to the Height of five hundred Paces, two hundred of which from the Foot of the Hill are very easy of Ascent, the other three hundred are very steep. The second Road is six hundred Paces high, a hundred of which rise through the lowest of the small Valleys by a gentle Ascent, the next hundred are almost perpendicular, so that you must climb them by Steps; the other four hundred rise gradually to the Top of the Hill, which is sixty Paces in Breadth. This Hill, on the Ridge of it, shoots Southward to the Distance of a hundred and fifty Paces, quite from the Church of St. Sophia to the Porphyry Pillar. The other three publick Ways, from the Bottom of the Hill, are for the first hundred Paces upon a gentle Rise, the next two hundred are a mighty Declivity, so that you are obliged to ascend them by Windings and Turnings; the remaining five hundred, up to the Plain upon the Hill, rise moderately. I would observe farther, that on the Side of the Clifts which project over the Bay, two small Hills jetted out, one to the North, and the other to the East; both which uniting form a little Valley, which is bounded on the East by a Hill which rises eighty Paces in Height, and has in some Places very agreeable Descents. This is the Reason that most part of the lesser Clifts, which bear upon this Hill, stand to the East, and that the Side of the Hill which looks Westward, is in some Parts of it more shelving than in other: For its Eminencies falling into the lowest Plain in the Valley, to the Length of three hundred Paces, from the Foot of the Hill up to the Middle of it, are almost perpendicular, and from the Middle to the Top they slope but little. As for those Hills which project over the Head of the Valley, they are not above two hundred Paces high, often of a different Ascent: For as the Valley rises, the Clifts seem lower. Indeed all the lesser Clifts of this Hill have a double Descent; one length-ways, and the other broad-ways: For those of them which stand East and West are seated in such a manner, that they also lye to the North. In short, all the Sides of this Hill, in the most steep Ascents of them, are not above a Furlong in Height; in other Places they fall into a moderate Declivity, and at the Bottom of them they gradually enlarge themselves into a Plain. The upper Clifts at the Top of them are half shelving, and half upon the Plain. The Plain adjoining to the Sea, and dividing the Hill from the Bay, spreads itself into a Latitude of three hundred Paces, but immediately widens again into a Breadth of five hundred Paces, and so visibly enlarges itself, the farther it extends itself into the Valleys.

      And thus having given the Reader some Account of the Front or fore-part of the Promontory, I shall now give him a short Description of the back-side of it, which faces the Sea. Behind the second and third Hills there are two lesser Hills, which hang over the Propontis. Between these Hills descends a hollow Valley. These Hills stand in the Middle of the Valley. That which lies Eastward, as well as that which lies to the West, exalts itself to the Height of more than two hundred Paces. At the End of the Valley, between these Hills, is a well built Harbour enclosed with a Wall. ’Tis seated upon the Plain on the Shore, near that part of the Sea which runs up to the Front of the Hippodrom. The Mouth of this Harbour is three hundred Paces in Breadth. From the Bay call’d Cornu, the Breadth crossing the Hill to the Propontis, widens to the Distance of two Miles.

Chap. X.

       Of the second Valley, which divides the second from the third Hill.

       Table of Contents

      THAT Valley which divides the second from the third Hill, begins at the Promontory, and ends in the Plain adjoining to the Sea. It contains in it the Fish-Market and the Ferry, whence you cross the Water to Syca. From hence to the Entrance of the Valley, a Plain expands itself to the Breadth of four hundred Paces so much upon the Level, that the Water falls from thence into the Bay with almost an imperceptible Descent. When it has contracted itself into the narrow Compass of two hundred Paces in Breadth, it gradually straightens itself into a less, even to the Middle of the Valley, where ’tis but fifty Paces in Breadth, and afterwards is no broader than the common Way. ’Tis above six hundred Paces in Length, three hundred of which are almost upon a Level, the other three hundred upon the Descent. It rises easily to that part of the Promontory, where the second and third Hills join. In the lowermost part of the Valley runs the broad Way that faces Galata. This Way, on both Sides of it, is full of Merchants Houses, cover’d with a kind of transparent Slat, which have here and there a small Casement. The Merchants of Galata frequent the grand Bezestan, or Place of Exchange. ’Tis situate partly on the Head of the Valley, and partly on an Eminence of the third Hill. In the Year of our Lord 1546 it was wholly burnt to the Ground, except two Basilica’s roof’d with Brick-work, which were lock’d up every Night, and their Windows secured by Iron Bars, when the Fire was over. I was allowed after the Fire to view their grand Forum. I found it lie so much upon the Level, that it had but a small Ascent either from the West to the East, or from the South to the North. I observed that it stood upon more than five Furlongs of Ground; on the highest part of it, which lies to the East, I was permitted to see a Nymphæum, adorn’d with five and forty Marble Pillars, which supported a Brick Roof. The old Basilica, of which I could have no Prospect before, by reason of the Shops and publick Houses, the Fire had lain open to my View. I observed farther, that it had two additional Buildings like Wings, joining to the main Building, each of which was divided into sixty Apartments, which were all arched, and over the Roof cover’d with Lead, as their Shops and Places of publick Entertainment are. The inward Chambers of these Apartments, for Privacy, are always lock’d, and are secured by an Iron Door. The Basilica itself consists of fifteen large Apartments, in the Figure of a Dome, has four Doors, and is supported by eight Pillars; the Roof is Brick-work, and leaded at Top. The new Basilica is supported with twelve Pillars built of a square Stone; four Arches bear upon these Pillars, which support twenty small Roofs, built in the Form of a Dome. There stand round about sixty Merchants Warehouses, or Shops with arch’d Roofs. Within the Basilica there are two hundred and twenty more of these Warehouses, which are made after the following Manner. Round the Walls of the Basilica are built abundance of very broad Pews, where the Merchants expose their Goods to Sale, which they take out of Presses, (when they would shew them to their Chapmen) which have Boxes of Drawers in them, the Masters always sitting before them. These Presses are fasten’d to the Wall, have two Folding Doors, and are removable at Pleasure.

Chap. XI.

       Of the third Hill.

       Table СКАЧАТЬ